Sam's Bat Mitzvah
by Bob Zox
Summary: PreGhost DxS! Danny, Sam and Tuck in Jr. High before the Lab Portal. Sam invites her friends and their families, but what happens when some UNinvited 'guests' show up? Sequel to The First Time Danny Saved Sam. Ch. 7 up.
1. Invitations

Chapter 1 – Invitation

Wednesday morning at Addams Junior High, a couple of boys were watching their mutual friend, who was dressed in black boots, a dark plaid skirt and a black, sleeveless top, walk up to the usual meeting place. Her shining black pony tail swished as she walked.

"Sam looks a little worried Danny." Tucker Foley was wondering how someone could be worried just two days before school was out for the summer. The eighth grade was almost history!

"Kinda. She's seems to have been really stressed out the past couple of months." Danny watched Sam walk up to the lunch table. She was holding what looked like some very fancy greeting cards.

"Hey guys." She smiled weakly.

Tucker smiled at his thirteen year old best friend, who just also happened to be a girl.

"Something on your mind Sam? Come on, you can talk to us, we're your friends!"

"Yeah Sam, can we help?" Shaggy haired, blue eyed Danny Fenton was always ready to help Sam Manson, ever since he had saved her last year from a kidnapper. They had grown close since then, but after the excitement had died down from his heroic rescue, his romantic feelings and approaches had been too much for the dark haired Sam, and she had not returned any visible signs of affection beyond friendship. She appreciated Danny saving her, and he would always be special to her because of the rescue, but…

Inside, she just wasn't ready for a boyfriend. Trying to think of Danny as a boyfriend confused her. She had never said "I love you" or any other encouragement to Danny, or to any other guy for that matter.

This had signaled a stop sign to Danny, who then suppressed any more outward signs of wanting to be more than a friend. After a while, it became automatic, to know when to stop before crossing the line beyond friendly words or deeds. It was a little frustrating to him at first, but he eventually learned that it was better to at least be side by side with Sam, than to not be with her at all. He would have to do something a little more spectacular to win the romantic affection of the lavender eyed girl, but he didn't know what. Maybe something would come along.

Sam appreciated the concern that her two best buddies were showing towards her. She rewarded them with a smile.

"It is nothing bad guys, really! Look, I just want to…uh…well just give these to you."

She handed them each a card.

"Looks like somethin' special!" Tucker smiled and looked at her as he opened it.

Danny was ripping his to shreds in a clumsy manner, but got his open too, and pulled out a gold engraved card, with a thin parchment cover that was almost transparent.

"You guys don't have to come if you don't want to…" Sam was looking away as she said it.

_Sam is not herself,_ Danny thought, _she usually has no problem ordering Tuck and I around. _He opened the card.

"Alright Sam!" Tucker shouted. "Your Bat Mitzvah! Congratulations Sam, and yeah, I'll be there!"

Sam smiled, but she was looking at Danny, trying to measure his reaction. Danny smiled as he read the invitation:

"Samantha Manson!" it read. He looked up at her with a questioning face. He knew she didn't like to be called Samantha. Her friends always call her Sam. "What's a Bat Mitzvah?" he asked.

Sam blushed. "It's my dedication to the Jewish way of life, and to G-d, as a Daughter of the Commandment." Danny loved the way she blushed, but he was careful to listen to what she was saying. This was obviously very important to his best friend, and if he ever wanted to get closer to her, he had to learn everything about her.

She continued: "I have been studying the past year to be able to lead the congregation in the service at my synagogue. I have to exercise my religious responsibilities. So I am going to do some reading and chanting in _trope. _The tradition dates back to ancient times. You guys will probably be bored."

"No I won't Sam, I want to go." Danny tried to give her a smile that said 'I am proud of you', and saw the relief on her face.

"Thanks guys! There'll be some food and dancing afterwards too!" She gave them each two more invitations. "These are for your families. They're invited too."

"Sooooo" Tucker began, "will you have any cousins your age showing up too? Girl cousins?" He tried to sound casual.

Sam smiled too "Yes, Tucker, there will be girls. Some of them may even want to dance with you!"

"Sweet!" Tucker raised a fist, and then looked at Sam. He calmed down. "Uh, thanks for inviting me!"

Danny planned on asking Sam to dance too! They went to class.


	2. RSVPs

Chapter 2 - RSVPs

Wednesday evening, Sam was home, going over RSVPs with her mother.

"Sammy-kins, we have over a hundred that will be attending, including the congregation."

"Great mom. So most of the people will be a captive audience."

"Now Sammy, they will just _love _to see you in your dress, especially since you don't wear one that often." Sam's mother had bought her a strapless, silver and white sequin dress that shimmered with a hint of gold, floor length. Sam hated the white high heels that came with it. She wanted to wear a floor length, shiny black beaded dress, with fishnet sleeves and trim. Little sewn black roses hung on the front and on the shoulders, making a mournful statement. She could still wear her boots under it. She had bought it too, just in case she could persuade her mother in a last minute change of mind.

She had pictured her Bat Mitzvah altogether differently: Her in her black dress, with dark mascara, dark violet eye shadow, long black gloves, and black, glossy chopsticks in her hair. The Menorah candles would burn with a thin wisp of smoke from each one, the curtains drawn to darken the synagogue, and her, reading the Torah. Now _that _would make some good pictures and video, pictures she would be proud to hang in her bedroom and post on the net.

Her mother and father on the other hand, had a completely different version planned. They could not accept a Gothic Bat Mitzvah. They associated Gothic lifestyle with some kind of evil devil worship or violent culture. Sam had tried to enlighten them, telling them that most Goths are religious, believing in Christianity (or in her case, Judaism), and that those who associate with dark worship were extremely rare, and were the exception, not the rule. But it is always difficult for a teenager to convince parents that they know what they are talking about.

"Oh the Fenton's are coming. Well…good." Sam glared at her mom.

"They are really nice mom. If you talk to them, you just might learn to like them."

"Oh Sammy-kins, I will certainly talk to them!" But Sam wasn't convinced it would be a cordial conversation. The friction would start as soon as Danny's father Jack opened his mouth. Now if she can just get her mom to maybe drink a little wine first at the reception before she talks to the Fenton's…

She went upstairs to her bedroom. "Goodnight mom."


	3. Dream

Chapter 3 - Dream

Sam turned off the light and climbed onto the little step stool into the tall bed.

All of the work every night, practicing her _trope _, the singing, chanting reading of the Torah, and the Hebrew reading lessons left her exhausted every night. She drifted to sleep right away.

She was looking across a dark field at twilight. Scattered here and there were the skeletons of trees, burned out stumps with a few, claw-like branches. There were holes in the ground by the stump of each tree, as if some night crawling rodent made its home there. But the holes had a slight reddish glow coming from down inside.

She saw herself walking, still in her nightgown, barefoot, stepping through the field, leaving foot prints in the black, almost moist soil. She could almost feel pebbles and stones with her feet.

Now she could make out the silhouettes of tombstones, some were great pillars with crosses, but most had the Star of David on them. Then she saw a mausoleum.

As she stepped in front of the two story, marble and stone structure, she could make out the individual crypts, the names on them scratched out or corroded beyond recognition.

The moonlight was coming out now, the twilight completely vanquished. As she looked up in the sky, she could make out the stars, but gone were the familiar constellations. Now the stars were themselves forming the Star of David, a great pointed halo, slowly revolving over her. It danced with the moon in a celestial orbit.

And now she began to hear voices. Old sounding voices, voices that were chanting with echoes, and chanting with a soft, but steady rhythm. Then she saw them:

Blue wisps of smoke, drifting slowly like an incoming fog, emanating from the crypts. The smoke twirled into a vortex, with other wisps from the graveyard joining into it, and rising to the sky to the center of the great Star rotating above her. She was almost hypnotized by this geometric display of supernatural power.

The voices grew louder, and now the great Star was beginning to glow, an electric Blue, outshining even the moon, the shadows of the mausoleum becoming a stark darkness compared to the illuminated rooftop.

"Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam. Sam…" The voices were calling her. And now the great Star was falling! Falling down on her. The blue brightness engulfed her!

She woke up. She was breathing fast, her heart pounding. What just happened?

She got out of bed and got herself a drink of water. She stayed up the rest of the night, afraid to go to sleep.


	4. Last Day

Chapter 4 – Last Day

The next day at school, everyone was excited because it was the last day before summer recess. Everyone, that is except for Sam.

"Uh, Sam, you ok?" Danny could see dark circles under her eyes as they walked between classes.

"Oh yeah. Had trouble sleeping last night." She rubbed her eyes. She didn't want to talk about her dream.

"Danny! Sam! Got my yearbook, you've got to write in it!" Tucker was almost running down the hallway.

"Cool." Danny opened it up, flipping through the pages, looking for a place to sign. To his surprise, he found next to the standard class picture of his face, an article from the Amity Park newspaper about his rescue of Sam last fall. He was listed in the school yearbook as a hero!

"Whoa, Danny, this is awesome!" said Tucker. Sam peered over Danny's shoulder, her hand on Danny's fingers to steady the yearbook as she gazed. Danny blushed as she came close. Did he smell roses? Danny and Tucker looked at her, Tucker adjusting his black framed glasses. She gave a brief smile.

She spoke close in his ear: "You're a hero Danny. That is where I want you to sign mine too. I gotta go to class. See you guys at lunchtime." Squeezing his arm, she turned around, skirt twirling around her as she walked away.

Danny watched her walk away. Tucker watched Danny.

"Dude, you still got a chance!" He knew Danny and Sam belonged together. "That was a _very _friendly goodbye!"

"I dunno Tuck. She seemed kinda down today. Maybe she just needed her friends."

He turned around and walked to class, looking down at the ground. He didn't want to get his hopes up again and cause himself more heartache. He had to back off from crossing the line. Tucker put his hand on Danny's shoulder.

Tucker had always wished for the right girl to come along for himself, and didn't understand Sam and Danny's hesitation with each other. He would jump at the chance to express affection towards a girl, if he had one. But he dropped the thought. The next class was math!

……………………………

At lunchtime, the trio met again at the usual table. Danny sat next to Sam, Tucker on the other side facing them.

Danny inspected a sandwich of doubtful contents.

"I won't be walking home with you guys today, mom and dad are picking me up after school. They want to show me something."

Sam was popping open her Tupperware bowl of salad. She had picked up a second wind after napping in science class. They were supposed to be saying goodbyes, and signing yearbooks during the class, but Sam didn't really have any friends in that class. Most of the kids were science savvy and thought her Gothic lifestyle to be primitive, and not logical. She was outcast. "What? Where to?" she asked.

"It is more what than where" Danny replied, "something about a new instrument in the Fenton RV. They want to show me how it works. They have this family thing about, how we are all in it together, Jazz and me, even though I don't have a clue about what they are talking about. You know, learning the family trade, following their footsteps. Sheesh."

Tucker was curious.

"Do you think I could tag along? I can walk home from your place afterwards."

"Me too." Sam wanted to tag along. She enjoyed being with Danny's family more than her own.

"OK, as long as you don't mind going to the cemetery." Danny kept his head down towards his sandwich, but he was looking through his shaggy hair with blue eyes to see his friend's reaction.

Tucker adjusted his red baseball cap, glanced at Sam, then looked back at Danny.

"Cemetery?" Sam glanced at Tucker, then back at Danny with lavender eyes narrowed to a focus.

"Uh yeah, somehow they have to test it there. Don't know why." Danny's mom and dad worked on things in the downstairs lab that he found difficult to understand, so he could never explain the things that Sam and Tucker saw when they came over.

Sam liked the idea of going to the cemetery. As a Goth-girl, she wondered why she hadn't thought of going there before.

"Sounds really cool to me!" She had a mischievous smile as she popped a carrot slice into her mouth.

"Ok, then we'll meet in the parking lot after school." Danny said, as he watched Sam start to munch a celery stick. Across the table, Tucker was eating a celery stick too, but it sure wasn't the same as watching Sam!


	5. Road Trip

Chapter 5 – Road Trip

School was OUT! Excitement ran high as Danny ran out to the parking lot to meet Sam and Tucker. Sam was getting her Phys. Ed. Teacher to sign her yearbook, and Tucker was with Mr. Freeman, his science teacher. They saw Danny, and then a commotion in the parking lot caught everyone's attention.

A loud and mechanical sounding whine as an engine slowed down in the parking lot, multiple pairs of headlamps glaring brightly as the transport slowed, even in the afternoon daylight. Danny's mother Maddie and dad Jack had pulled up in the yellow and black Fenton RV, a vehicle the size of a tank; it bristled with antennas, rotating microwave dishes and other sensors scanning the heavens.

The RV had no problem parking in the front pick up area with ease as normal car drivers, intimidated by the monstrous machine scurried out of the way like mice.

"Bye Mr. Freeman, see you next year!" Tucker ran parallel with Sam as she waved goodbye to her teacher too; they both headed to the RV. Danny caught up from behind.

The side door to the RV opened with a loud metallic clank, and then the hydraulics could be heard as the door ramp lowered with a buzzing vibration. The kids climbed aboard.

"Another year completed with success, eh son?" shouted Jack, gripping the steering controls as he sat in the captain's chair. "Now you are ready for a real education!" He pushed the button to close the door.

"Let's just say some additional education, ok dear? Danny still needs his formal classes!" Danny's mother Maddie smiled at her husband from the co-pilot seat. She had always stressed the importance of college.

"Right you are my dear!" Jack gave Maddie his movie star smile that she adored. He engaged the transmission, and the Fenton RV once again terrorized the parking lot.

"Everyone buckled?" Maddie asked. The kids all answered in agreement, with smiles. Tucker loved the technological sophistication of the RV, and Sam loved the unique, non-conformity of it. A great way to start summer!

-----------------------------------------------------------

The cemetery wasn't far, but they rode in the RV not to save them a walk, but because of the special equipment on board. Danny knew his parents had been working on very complicated experiments in the basement laboratory in their home, but only knew that they wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, until they were sure their testing was done.

When they moved a special device from the lab to the RV and installed it, he knew they were done with testing and ready to use it for something. His parents made a living inventing things, and selling the ideas, but the best ideas they kept for themselves and kept secret.

The RV stopped in front of the gateway to the cemetery.

"OK Jack, I am loading the program." Maddie was reading lines of code as the text scrolled by on her monitor screen.

"Detector ON" Jack confirmed. The kids unbuckled and got up to look at the large round monitor Jack was watching that looked like a radar screen.

After a few minutes, even Tucker was getting bored.

"Uh, what are we looking for? What does this do?" he asked Jack.

"Apparently, nothing!" Jack was frowning. He looked at Maddie's lavender eyes with disappointment.

"Jack honey, it may just be due to the daytime hours, let's try again tonight." Maddie looked at the kids. "You kids up for another field trip here tonight?"

"Oh yeah!" Sam answered. This would her first gothic experience in a graveyard at night, and she wasn't going to be afraid. The fact that it would be with four other people, and inside a heavily armored RV had nothing to do with her bravery, she told herself.

"Sure." said Tucker. Danny just nodded in agreement. A good excuse to be with Sam!

Tucker continued: "But uh…what will be better because of the night?"

Jack smiled as he proudly began his explanation:

"I have perfected a detector that can display shift patterns in spectral energy. The kind of spectral energy that emanates from supernatural phenomena!"

Tucker stopped smiling. Was Jack serious? And if he was, where was the exit?

Sam liked the idea though, with wide eyes she asked:

"You mean supernatural as in…ghosts?"

"Yes!" Jack confirmed. "If the detector works, it will then lead to the next phase of experiments and development: a way to catch and confine ghosts!" He was proud and excited, he went back to scan the monitor and instruments as if he overlooked something.

Maddie buckled back up. "OK dear, let's go home. We can kill time with dinner and then come back at sunset."

Sam was silent. As she gazed out at the cemetery, she remembered her dream. The trees looked just like it...and there in the back, a mausoleum too! But it couldn't be...this return visit tonight would help her discard the fear, the Fenton detector would not find anything again, and she could sleep soundly nights, knowing that it was just a dream. And sleep knowing that real cemeteries were empty of anything but bones.


	6. Twilight

Chapter 6 – Twilight

In the darkening twilight, the cemetery was quiet, and devoid of people. Devoid of live people, it should be said. A lone crow, sitting on the branch of a dead tree two stories tall, spread black, wide wings, and flew towards the sunset with only a flap or two. The sunset cast a reddish glow on the faded yellowish marble that made up the walls of the massive mausoleum. Nothing dared to challenge its might.

Until now: a distant rumble as man and machine approached it, multiple pairs of headlamps proclaiming the arrival of the living, as if the huge yellow and black transport was landing on an alien world.

The cemetery countered by absorbing much of the electric beams, reflecting only black, if anything. The mausoleum stood out in brilliant contrast.

"OK dear, the monitor code is loaded and running. Detector on?" Maddie looked up at her husband.

"Detector ON" Jack replied, and he began scanning the monitor.

Tucker and Danny were looking at the monitor too, but Sam was looking outside.

"Would you please open the door? I need…some fresh air." She asked.

Jack pushed the button without even looking up, he had memorized the dashboard and knew where all of the controls were. Danny turned around to watch Sam walking down the ramp. He followed her. Tucker stayed behind watching the monitor. Since this was his second time, he was learning how to operate the detector. He loved learning about new gizmos.

Outside, the twilight was almost gone, the stars gaining numbers as they took their place in the night sky, a dark blue that was almost black as it faded to dark purple. Only the mausoleum stood out. She wasn't afraid to walk up to it, since it was well lit from the RV headlamps.

Danny caught up to her.

"Pretty weird huh?"

"Gothic." Was her simple reply. Her lavender eyes stared in awe. There were figures carved into the roof of the mausoleum, figures in battle, figures laying down the wounded and dead, and in one place, half-clad lovers in an eternal embrace, carved sitting on a bench, lips almost touching.

Then the lights went out.

Sam put a hand on Danny's shoulder, and he put his arm around her waist pulling her close.

"It's ok Sam, I'm here."

"I'm not afraid. I just …have to get use to the darkness, my eyes haven't adapted yet. That's all." But she kept her hand on Danny's shoulder.

Inside the RV, Jack and Maddie resumed watching the monitor screen; they had shut off the lights to lure whatever may be out there. But there was nothing. Tucker was becoming bored.

Back outside, Danny and Sam walked closer to the mausoleum.

Looking up, Danny commented:

"So there are dead people in there. And my parents are trying to detect them. What a waste of money to build this detector. Anyone looking here can tell you there are dead folks here!"

Sam looked at the sky. The stars were where they belonged, in the ancient constellations. Whew! So far, so good.

"BOO!" Danny and Sam screamed, jumped a foot in the air and twirled around, grabbing each other, Sam's nails dug into Danny's arm.

"TUCKER!" They both screamed. Tucker was smiling, and now started laughing.

Sam started hitting Tucker on the back, loud thumps and slaps, but Tucker was still laughing. Danny started laughing too. That was pretty good. Then he started feeling the claw marks in his arm! Wow, Sam was pretty strong for a thin girl!

Maddie heard the screaming and shouting and peeked out the RV door.

"OK kids, back inside, we're going home."

"Empty handed, apparently." Jack said with disappointment.

They left.

-----------------------------------

That evening, Sam crawled into bed again. Another day of practice, she had tried to convince her parents to give her a break tonight since it was the last day of school, but they wanted her to conduct the service perfectly, and practice makes perfect. She was tired and drifted to sleep…

…twilight, in the dark field again. She felt pebbles and stones on bare feet, saw herself in the purple nightgown; it flowed around her as she stepped between the dead hulks that were once trees, now black. The holes in the ground at the base of the trees were glowing red. She could see now that the holes were in pairs, like red eyes, staring at her with mischief, and menace, the trees now looked like wild, unruly black hair above the glowing eyes.

She did not see any moon tonight, but the stars were there, slowly moving from the constellations, into the shape of the Star of David again, the great six-pointed Star slowly rotating above her like a planetarium display.

The mausoleum stood with all its might, but now, a figure standing at the top of the steps leading to the crypts: Danny.

He was looking at her, wearing the black and white spandex suit he wore for Halloween last year. Above him were the immortal lovers, carved in the mausoleum stone, lips forever just out of reach.

She walked towards him, and noticed his eyes were not blue, but green; his hair not black, but white, and waving in the night breeze. As she got closer, he slowly became transparent, until only his glowing green eyes could be seen in the darkness. They faded into the crypt.

Somehow this did not frighten her. She knew somehow that he was not fading into the crypt as were the dead, but that he was somehow immune to it, he was going _through _death, not into it.

She climbed the steps and then sat down at the top, waiting for him…


	7. Haunted

Chapter 7 - Haunted

Not too far from the cemetery, the Temple Ami-Shalom was small and modest, but very old. It had served generations and generations of families in Amity Park for a long time. Rabbi Roberg was honored to serve the synagogue's small but faithful congregation.

Today he was starting to take inventory of the whole building in preparation for an upcoming Bat Mitzvah. The morning sunlight projected beams through the narrow windows that lined the top of the walls, illuminating the altar steps.

As he walked up the steps, he noticed that the smoke from the brightly burning menorah candles was drifting somewhat to the side, at an angle, even though there wasn't any breeze inside the temple. All of the candles were drifting, but in different directions! A breeze would blow the smoke in the same direction, but the smoky wisps from these candles were…undulating in an independent manner from each other! He pulled at his black curly beard in thought, and then readjusted his glasses for a better look.

As a large cumulus cloud outside drifted over the temple, darkening the windows, the smoke began to turn greenish-gray. The ropes of smoke began to drift to the center of the altar, twisting together in a slow moving vortex, the greenish column bending and pointing towards the wall where the sacred scroll of the Torah was stored. The Rabbi was frightened, and began praying for divine safety. He was frozen with fear and could only watch in paralysis.

Now the base of the twisting green vortex hovered over the podium, dancing in circles around the steps, as if searching for something. The top end of the vortex was revolving in front of the Torah. Blue streaks could now be seen shooting from the Torah, in twisted bolts, gleaming into the altar floor as it traced circles around the podium. The Rabbi could hear the blue bolts hissing as they traveled down the vortex, smashing into the floor with blue sparks, hissing that sounded like 'sssssaaaaammmmmm'.

Sam. Samantha Manson! She was the one who's Bat Mitzvah he was preparing! Could this be some sign to do with the thirteen year old girl? No one would believe him!

He bowed his head and began to pray. Then with a bright green flash, the vortex vanished! Sunlight gleamed in cheerful beams from the windows onto the altar once again. What had just happened?

He walked up to the Torah, and felt the scroll. He kissed the top of the scroll and prayed.


	8. Bat Mitzvah at last

Bat Mitzvah

The temple was full this sunny morning: family, friends and neighbors had all finished talking and socializing in the entrance; everyone had signed the guest book, and all were seated in the pews, expectantly awaiting the beginning of the ceremony. The temple altar was lit with sunbeams from the temple windows, the gold trim shining here and there, transforming the room into a heavenly space.

The Rabbi, synagogue president, and Sam's parents were seated against the front wall and to the side so as to observe her while she led the congregation in the worship ceremony. She had elected to read from Genesis.

Now the congregation hushed to leave a silence for her as she walked to the podium. She was wearing a figure hugging dress, mid thigh length, with red and silver flowers on a black background (a compromise with her mother so she wouldn't have to wear white), black heels, and her black hair up in a bun. As she opened the scroll, her violet eyes sparkled, and looking up to the congregation for the first time, she gave a practiced smile with lips closed, practiced, because she knew she would be nervous, but had rehearsed so many times, her ritual was now automatic. She was now reaping the benefit of repetition.

She began to chant in ritual trope, the singing recitation of the holy words, with a beautiful soprano voice that brought smiles to everyone in the temple. As she read she looked up from the scroll...and then paused.

In the third row was Danny. She flashed back to her dream. He smiled at her. He was very attractive with his thick black hair, and even from the altar she could see the blue in his eyes. She looked back down at the scroll, blushing. Her father, seated behind her, could not see his daughter's face, and thinking that she might have forgotten her place, or worse, suffered from stage fright, stood up from his chair to go to the podium to assist his daughter. Then it happened:

The temple windows darkened, the sunbeams disappearance plunging the temple into twilight shades of gray, except for the scroll in front of her. Surounding the edges of the scroll was a golden glint as if the sunbeams never left. It was the brightest object in the temple room, gold light reflecting from her awe stricken face. She looked up, and everyone was looking at the scroll and her, but Danny was getting up and exiting the pews toward the center walkway.

Now her father reached her, and saw the gleaming scroll too, and took his daughter by the elbow. She grabbed her father's arm and stood back from the scroll. Danny was walking up, front and center.

Before he could reach the altar, blue-green beams of light began to erupt from the scroll, beams that were at first straight up to the ceiling, but then began to twist into a circle, a large halo that rose above the father and daughter, and began circling about them. The air was ionized and a faint hissing could now be heard.

Danny went to the other side of Sam, and stood between her and the scroll. He had to shield his eyes from the blue light now, it was brilliant, a blinding shimmering that rivaled a laser. The Rabbi bowed and prayed. He had not told anyone about his haunting experience earlier, but had feared this would happen since the previous occurence involved Sam.

Now flares began to emerge from the halo, blue flames that wavered and stretched, until finally they detached, and flew about the halo, continuing the circle, near the ceiling; detached flames that now were as large as vague human forms. The entire congregation was as stone, fear and awe in their large eyes, some praying, hands clasped in a white knuckled and desperate invocation for protection.

The various detached flames were now clearly human forms: women and men, and as they orbited the halo, their faces became clear: old wrinkled faces. The blue ghosts now flew down to the trio by the podium, and stood on the altar, surrounding the living. The father's mouth was agape, and then his eyes narrowed.

"Bubby? My God, is that you Bubby?" The blue ghost he addressed only smiled, but then walked past him, and together with the other ghosts, circled closer to Sam. Now all the flaming apparitions held hands in a circle around her, arms and hands going right through the torsos of her father and Danny. They began to chant.

Then Sam began to shimmer with a blue sparkle! She became one of the flaming ghosts, and with a shocked face, she looked around, helpless.

"SAMMY!" Her father tried to grab her, and felt nothing but cold, cold air. Fear and anguish was naked in his face. Then a blinding green flash! The sunbeams were again shining through the windows, the darkness had departed.

When everyone opened their eyes, Sam was lying on the floor of the altar. Before her father could recover his eyesight and notice his daughter on the floor, Danny had scooped her up and lifted her.

"Sammy! My baby!" The father held his daughter's face in his hands. Her eyelids fluttered.

"Father?" She turned her head and looked up into Danny's eyes.

"Are you...ok?" he asked.

"Yes, I think so." She moved to stand up out of his arms, then held onto one of his arms with both hands.

"Sammy!" She turned and placed a hand on her father. Everyone was spellbound as to what would happen next.

She lifted her hand from her father and felt her forehead.

"I met them. I met my ancestors! Hundreds of them, from thousands of years ago! How long was I gone?"

"You weren't gone more than a second, you never really left" said Danny. She stared at him.

"I saw you in my dream." She softly spoke.

"And I saw you in mine. I saw this would happen." said Danny. Her mouth fell open at his statement.

Her father noticed the scroll had fallen on the floor, and had unraveled down the altar steps. He bent down to pick it up, and the Rabbi, coming to his senses, went over to the other end of the scroll to help roll it up.

As the two men looked up holding the scroll, they saw Danny and Sam still holding each other's arms, staring into one another's eyes.

"A miracle" the Rabbi said.

"A miracle" said Danny and Sam.


End file.
